Pneumatic concrete-mixer and paver



L. H. EI'CHELBERGER. PNEUMATIC CONCRETE MIXER AND PAVER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.30, I915.

Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

inventor:

A ttfy.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS H. EVICHELBERGER, or PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 RANSOME concnnrn MACHINERY COMPANY, or NEW YORK, N. Y., A conroBATm OF NEW YORK.

PNEUMATIC CONCRETE-MIXER AND PAVEiR.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 14 1920 Application filed August 30, 1916. Serial No. 117,603.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS H. EICHEL- BERGER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Plainfield, in the county of Union, State of New J ersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Concrete-Mixers and Pavers, of which the following is a specification.

The improvements relate to machines for mixing concrete aggregates and distributing and placing them for the purpose of forming a road or other pavement, and particularly to devices of this character in which the operations are performed by the use of com pressed air. The mixing apparatus is in the nature of an improvement in the apparatus of United States Letters Patent No. 1,097,084, granted to me May 19, 191 1, to which patent reference is made for details of construction not described or shown herein. so far as the present construction corresponds therewith.

In the said Patent No. 1,097,084 I have described and shown a receptacle or container provided with jet openings at various points throiigh which compressed air is discharged into the interior on vertical lines, whereby the materials are given a whirling movement. In the present improvements the jets are so directed as to enter the retort on lines substantially radial to its vertical axis and at various angles thereto, and the plugs in which the said jet openings are orovided are so constructed and arranged t at they may be turned so as to give the jet the desired direction, whereas in the said patent a similar arrangement was provided for the purpose of adjusting all the jets in the same general direction. A feature of the present improvements, therefore, is the mixing of the concrete by means of compressed air jets directed into the mass at various angles as well as at various levels so that the materials are moved in different directions and thoroughly agitated and mixed and the compressed air compelled to traverse a greater portion of the body of materials than heretofore, before escaping therefrom. Thisnot only insures a quick and thorough mixing, but also obtains a relatively greater agitating andmixing action from a given volume of compressed air.

another feature of the present improvements is the construction and arrangement of the mixer and its accessories in' such a manner that they may be mounted and in mounting them on a truck or carriage adapted, to be moved along a road or other surface to be paved, and also the provision of means for discharging the mixed concrete -on the surface to which it is to be applied.

In the drawings a pivoted delivery chute of ordlnary construction is shown. The other parts of the mechanism may however be used in connection with a discharge conduit receiving the concrete from the mixing vessel and conducting it by gravity or by air pressure from the vessel, or both, to the point of application, and the said conduit maybe pivoted to move from side to side of the road or other surface to be paved and provided with a nozzle and shoe for depositin and spreading the concrete.

he apparatus may'also be used in connection with devices for charging the mixing vessel with the concrete aggregates and the charging apparatus operated by the same source of power as the parts herein shown and described, so that the complete operation of charging, mixing and depositing may be performed by a singlemechanism actuated by a single power device and carried by a single truck.

There are other features of the improvements which will appear from the following description and claims: I

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pneumatic concrete mixer and paver embodying the improvements; Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, and Fig. 3 is a detail in vertical section of one of the jet plugs of the mixing vessel.

The truck consists of a frame or chassis 1 mounted on suitable wheels 2 and 3. It is also preferably provided with some means of propulsion, which ma be an ordinary gasolcne engine or a traction drive actuated by the same source of power as the condenser and other devices.

On thetruck frame thesupporting frame 4: of the mixing retort 5 is mounted by means of a skeleton platform 6. The compressed air and water tank 7 is also mounted on An inlet pipe 8 supplies air an tit) side of the truck, so that water or air may be supplied therethrough from either side, and connects with the inlet pipe 9 of the tank through a 2-way valve 10 adapted to establish communication through one branch of.the supply pipe while closing the other. The inlet pipe 9 communicates with the bottom of the tank, and in fillingthis tank with compressed air and water the water is first supplied thereto until it has reached the desired height and the compressed air is then forced into the tank, rising through the water and occupying the upper part thereof. The level of the water is indicated by the gage 11, and this gage may also be supplied with a pressure indicator.

Wateris discharged by closing the valve 10 and opening the valve 12 on the pipe 13 leading from the inlet.- and outletplpe 9 to the mixing vessel; This causes the compressed air to force the water out through the bottom of the tank and into the mixing vessel 5 through the jet nozzles. If desired compressed air may be admitted to the vessel at the same time at any desired rate by opening the valve 14 between the yalve 12 and the mixing vessel 5 and controlling communication between the upper part of the tank 7 and the pipe 13 through the air out let pipe 15. In the ordinary operation of the device, however, the water is first expelled from the tank in sufficient quantity to saturate the batch of aggregates in the mixing vessel and the compressed air then forced into these moistened materials to agitatefiand mix them. This may be done through the pipe 9 and the valve 12 or, after closing the valve 12, through the pipe 15 and valve 14;. If desired compressed air or water orv both may be supplied to the mixing chamber simultaneously or successively from the supply pipe through the pipe 13 and without entering the tank. In this manner 1 have provided a compressed air and water supplywhich may be manipulated and varied to meet various contingencies. The mixing vessel 5 is provided with a hin ed cover 16 made in two parts, and closing the top thereof, so that it may be easily opened and closed to receive the materials to be mixed. The pipe13 terminates in the pi e 17 in the form of a ring running aroun the retort 5, and communicating therewith, and from this pipe'17 the branch pipes '18, 19, 20, 21 and 22 leading to the jet nozzles extend. In the drawings are shown six of each of these branch pipes, the branches 18 leading to the upper part of the vessel 5, 17 communicating therewith at a point" near the middle and 20, 21 and 22 communicating with the lower conical portion at different levels. In this manner is provided a distribution of jets throughout the entire area of the vessel, the jets being more numerous, and therefore supplying a different points.

lower greater volume of air, at the bottom than at the top, so that the aggregates may be subjected to the action of the jets simultaneously from various directions and at The plugs 24 through which the jet openings 23 extend are threaded into screwtapped openings in the walls of the vessel 5, and the said jet nozzle openings pass obliquely therethrough. A hollow boss 24* on the outer side of each plug and surrounding the opening 23 receives the branch pipe and connects it with the plug by having the exteriorally threaded end of the said branch pipe received by the interiora-lly threaded boss. It will be seen that the jet openings are of smaller diameter than the bore of the pipe supplying air thereto. This not only increases the velocity of the air and gives it a greater mixing power but prevents clogging of the jet opening, and enables the operator to clear such opening in case it becomes clogged from any cause. The construction o the plug enables the operator to determine at a glance the direction of the jet, and the plugmay be turned for the purpose of adjusting this direction by means of a plier or wrench applied to the boss 2 1 The most eflic-ient mixing has been ob tained by an adjustment of the plugs which gives the jets a downward direction. This causes the compressed air to traverse the mass downwardly and then upwardly, and the tapering, inverted conical, form of the pgart of the vessel aids in this operation. y the adjustment here provided the compressed air may be given such a motion through the materials that it Will have what may be called a cyclonic action, and at the same time some of the jets may be so adjusted as to crosscut the currentszirom other jets. r I

The discharge opening at the bottom of the mixing vessel is provided with a' valve 26 hinged adjacent thereto and held in position by a weighted arm 27 The discharge chute 28 is pivotally mounted on the truck 'frame and extends from the discharge opening to a point near the ground. The cab 29 mounted on the front of the truck may be used by the engineer in charge of the apparatus and also for the housing of the motor air compressor pump and other devices such as those hereinbefore mentioned.

By the use of the tank herein described and its connections air under a certain pressure and water sutlicient to supply a batch of concrete may be stored therein and then liberated and permitted to discharge into the aggregates in the mixing vessel so as to thoroughly saturate and mix them. By determinlng the amount of water and the volume and pressure of air required this operation may be performed according to rule by unskilled labor, and the mixing operation performed with absolute accuracy and certainty as often as desired.

Another advantage of the apparatus and the process involved resides in the fact that the air from the tank will pass through-the water when the discharge'valve is opened,

but will carry with it a certain amount of water so long as water remains in the tank. By thus charging the air with moisture the moisture is carried quickly through the aggregates, and the air jets are given a greater efliciency of impact on account of the increase in effect of its specific gravity due to the presence of liquid.

What I claim is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a retort constructed to receive materials to be mixed and to permit the same to be discharged therefrom, a conduit communicating with said retort, a reservoir communicating with said conduit, valve controlling said last communication, valve controlled means for supplying air to said reservoir and water under pressure, and selective means for discharging. mixed air and water from said reservoir or air and water separately therefrom as desired and to the said retort.

2. A mixing vessel in combination with means for obtaining a flow thereto of either mixed air and water or air, either simultaneously or successively as desired said means consisting of a single reservoir having separate receiving pipes for air and water with a common pipe discharging into said reservoir, a valved conduit for mixed air and water leading from the lower part of said reservoir to said mixing vessel, and a valved 0011- duit leading from the upper part of said reservoir to said last named conduit.

3. A mixing vessel in combination with means for obtaining a flow thereto of either mixed air'and water or air, either simultaneously or successively as desired said means consisting of a single reservoir having separate receiving pipes for air and water with a pipedischarging into said reservoir, 2. valved conduit for mixed air and water leading from said reservoir to said mixing vessel and a valved conduit leading from another part of said reservoir to said last named conduit.

1. The combination of a mixing vessel, mounted in an elevated position on a movable support, means for closing the said vessel, and means for. supplying thereto air under ressure and liquid, said vessel having a ischarge opening at its lower part, a valve controlling said discharge opening, an adjustable distributing conduit extending downwardly and away from said discharge opening and having a portionbelow and in open communication therewith, the construction and arrangement being'such that the contents of said vessel are discharged by gravity and air pressure: into said conduit, and are given an initial velocity in the direction of said conduit thereby, the means for supplying to said vessel air under pressure and liquid comprising a conduit communicating therewith and with a supply of air under pressure and water, and valves controlling communication between said "air' LEWIS H. EICHELBERGER. 

